Nancy on the Home Front

Best Ever Cornbread for Dinner

I am always looking for ways to improve upon a recipe but once in a while you find a recipe that needs no improvement. This best ever cornbread recipe is perfect just the way it is, there is no need to improve this recipe.

Cornbread can be enjoyed at any time of the year, however nothing tastes so good on a cold winters day than a bowl of chili or homemade soup and cornbread.

This cornbread also freezes well so if you find yourself with leftovers just pop them in the freezer to enjoy at a later date.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

¼ cup honey
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl beat together the egg, buttermilk and honey.

In a second bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Combine all the wet and dry ingredients together in one bowl including the melted butter and mix well.

Spread the mixture into a buttered 8-inch square pan and bake at 425 for 20 minutes.This cornbread is delicious with a bowl of chili! It is also good with a bowl of thick homemade soup or corn chowder.This recipe comes together quickly, in fact it will probably take you longer to read the recipe than it will to mix up a batch! Next time you are looking for something to serve with your soup or chili give it a try!

Picking Sour Cherries!

Sour cherries grow in Vermont but their season is short, sometimes only two weeks long! If we have an unusually cold spring there might not be any sour cherries. Last Friday my husband and I decided to go on an adventure and find some elusive sour cherries to pick!

There was an orchard on the Vermont – New York border, a little more than an hour away that had sour cherries, so off we went!

It was a cloudy cool day and the grass was wet from the night’s rain but the cherries were indeed abundant and easy to pick. With my husband and I picking we managed to pick 13 pounds of cherries in a little over an hour! They were absolutely beautiful!

You may ask what I’m going to do with all those cherries? The first thing to do was to pit them. The folks at the orchard said not to waste my money on a cherry picker but to just use a paper clip. A little tedious but easy and I put some music on and pitted away!

Next I mixed up a batch of my wonderful Sour Cherry Cordial. So easy to make and it is the essence of summer! You must be patient as it takes four months before you can enjoy it. However, it is the perfect drink to enjoy in the middle of winter sitting in front of the wood stove! It’s been years since I made a batch so I doubled the recipe. After all it does make a nice gift when placed in a fancy bottle!

Sour Cherry Cordial

2 ½ pounds of sour cherries
3 cups vodka
3 cups of sugar

Put the vodka and washed, crushed cherries (without stems) in a large container.

Let the cherry vodka mix sit in a cool dark place for one month. Shake occasionally.

After a month, add the sugar, and let sit another month, shaking when you think of it. Strain, bottle, and let age for four months.

Drink as an aperitif, or digestif, chilled or warm, in small glasses. We enjoy it over crushed ice.

As I sip the cordial I will remember our outing and the warm sunny days of picking sour cherries in the orchard.

I did not use all 13 pounds of cherries in the cordial, I also have two bags of pitted cherries to use for cherry compote and/or a pie! Plus I gave my neighbor two pounds and in exchange she is going to give me a jar of her delicious cherry blueberry jam!

Clean, Lean and Green

Want to save money on cleaning products? Don’t just head over to the dollar store and load up on a slew of off-brand scrubs and sprays. If the global environmental repercussion of chemical cleaners don’t seem like enough of a motivator, let’s face it, sometimes organic has to take a backseat to cheap – consider your health. The fumes of corrosive cleaning products will stick around in a sealed environment, causing air pollution inside the home. The good news is that “green” cleaning products don’t have to be expensive, quite the opposite. Stick with a few multitasking basics and you’ll actually spend less.

If you are looking to green up your cleaning regimen but don’t want to go broke in the process, baking soda and vinegar will be your new best friends; but Castile soap is also a good product to know about.

The typical liquid dish soap or laundry detergent bought at the grocery store today is made from a petroleum distillate, a toxic and nonrenewable resource. Castile is made from coconut or olive oil, both renewable resources and is a natural and readily biodegradable alternative.

Castile can go anywhere: in the washing machine (1/4 cup per load), in squirt bottles for hand, dish and body washing and in garden remedies and natural cleaning formulas. Castile soap can be expensive, but just think of it as an investment up front. Cleaning formulas made with castile require only a few tablespoons of the stuff at a time.

You can find Castile in liquid or solid form in health food stores and some supermarkets.

Asian Shrimp and Rice Bowl

Looking for a light summer dinner idea? This recipe is a perfect choice. I had some shrimp in the freezer I wanted to use up and this Asian Shrimp and Rice Bowl recipe was a great way to use the shrimp.

Asian Shrimp and Rice Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup quick cooking brown rice
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp ponzu sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 ½ tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp Sriracha
1 pound of medium peeled shrimp, cooked
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into matchstick strips
2 medium carrots cut into matchstick strips
4 large radishes, sliced
1 cup of bean sprouts
½ cup cilantro

Directions:

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and let cook ten minutes.

While the rice is cooling make the dressing by combining the vinegar, ponzu sauce, sesame oil, ginger and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl.

Divide the rice between 4 shallow serving bowls. Arrange the shrimp, cucumber, carrots, radishes and bean sprouts on the rice. Drizzle evenly with the dressing and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve and enjoy! For those of you following the 21 Day Fix eating plan I figured this salad is equal to 1 red, 2 greens and 1 orange.

Gete okosomin Seeds Have Sprouted!

I have written several articles about the very special squash seeds I acquired when I was in Keystone, South Dakota. There are several stories about where the seeds originally came from which you can read HERE or HERE. Regardless of which story you believe the seeds are definitely heirloom squash seeds and I was given ten!

Because our house is on the market and will eventually sell I did not want to plant all ten seeds. After all what if we got an offer and had to move before I could harvest the squash! So I carefully started four of the ten seeds and have three very healthy plants. I started the seeds in the house to give them a good start and once the first leaves appeared I planted them out in the garden! I am not growing any other winter squash and the one zucchini plant I have is quite far away in another garden on the other side of the house. The Gete-okosomin plants seem to be doing quite well!

I have never watched any other vegetable plant so carefully. Every day I am outside checking on the progress and making sure there are no bugs eating the leaves or chipmunks munching on the plants! For some reason we have an abundance of chipmunks this year and they are becoming real pests!

So many of you have written asking to be put on my seed list! If I even get just one large squash from each plant I should have more than enough seeds to send out. I will not be charging for the seeds, but I will be asking for money to cover the postage. Especially as I have folks from all over the world who would like to try and grow this wonderful plant. As I look at my plants it looks like they will be flowering soon!

Stay tuned, I will keep you all informed as to how my three plants are doing. Right now I’m wishing we still had our dogs as they loved to chase the little chipmunks and keep them away from the garden. Maybe it’s time for a puppy!

Peanut Butter Pie – love at first bite

A friend of mine shared this Peanut Butter Pie recipe with me over a year ago. I fell in love at first bite! Chocolate and peanut butter are one of my favorite combinations. This pie is a no bake version made with coconut oil. The only sweetener is maple syrup. It is rich and delicious and you will want to cut small pieces when serving.

Peanut Butter Pie

Crust Ingredients:

1 ½ cups almond meal
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup of all-natural peanut butter (can also use almond butter!)
¾ cup water
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup

¼ tsp sea salt

Chocolate Topping Ingredients:

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
3 Tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

Line an 8 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. To prepare the crust, combine all the crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the spring form pan. Set aside.

To prepare the filling combine the ingredients in a mixer bowl and blend until smooth. Pour the filling over the top of the crust. Place the pie in the freezer to set until firm. Once firm combine the chocolate topping ingredients and pour over the top of the pie. To create the marbled effect pour the chocolate topping over the top of the filling before it is firm and use a knife to swirl the chocolate and create a marbling effect. Take the pie out of the freezer an hour or so before serving to make it easier to cut.

Top 10 Frugal Tips

I began blogging in September of 2011. Since then I have written over 1, 170 posts! Can you believe it? Many of my posts have included frugal tips. I decided to go back over the various posts I’ve written over the years and share what the top ten posts were. These are the posts that were most commented on and most viewed. I hope you enjoy them. What is your favorite way to save money?

I have to say the all time favorite post was one I did on Restoring a Shrunken Sweater. I still get comments on this post almost every week. If you’ve ever shrunken a sweater in the washing machine by accident you will appreciate this advice. It really works!

Another top post was how to save money on spices. The post was called The Spice Dilemma. I love to cook which means I use a lot of spices. If I can’t grow my own I want to make sure I’m getting a good deal. How do you save money on your herbs and spices?

Making Homemade Vanilla. Every June I make a batch of vanilla. It makes the perfect Christmas gift. It must sit for six months so June is just the right time to make your own vanilla to give as gifts at Christmas.

Saving money on vacation. Each other year we like to gather with all of our children and their spouses and enjoy a family vacation. We want to have a good relaxing time and not spend a fortune. This post has a few suggestions.

Patience. Perhaps you wonder what patience has to do with being frugal? We live in a world where it is possible to have things almost immediately even if you don’t have the cash to pay for them! Just put it on a credit card. The main point is this post was to remember a patient consumer is the winner!

Never Pay The Sale Price. What? Did you read that right? If you are like me you search for the cheapest price of an item whether you are in a store or online. Once I have found a good price on an item there is one further step I take to make sure there aren’t any other deals I can add in to make the price even cheaper. Click on the link to find out how!

Homemade Mustard was another popular post. I had never tried making my own mustard until I was given a jar one Christmas. It was delicious and I immediately decided to make some myself.

Freezing Peppers. We all know how expensive peppers are in the winter. Did you know they are also so easy to freeze at home during the summer? Buy extra peppers when they are in abundance and dice them up to freeze and enjoy during the winter months.

A few years ago I was really into making cheese. I haven’t made it so much lately but making your own mozzarella cheese is so quick and easy. I should do it again!

Making your Own Wool Dryer Balls. Have you ever used wool dryer balls? They are an excellent way to speed up your drying time. I had some extra wool on hand and decided to try making my own. It was so easy and I have to say I got carried away. Now when folks come visit I tell them about dryer balls and send them home with one or two!What are your best tips for saving money. I’ve been working on saving money for years and I still learn new tips all the time!

Soap Update

You may remember over a month ago when I attempted to make soap? I had always wanted to make soap and had read many accounts of other people’s attempt to make soap. I had gathered all the ingredients needed and decided to give it a try. I would make Cold Process Soap and set up shop in our garage. I wanted to make sure the area was well ventilated!

I was surprised at how easy it was to make. In no time at all I was pouring the mixture into my molds.

The soap was allowed to harden for 48 hours before I removed the soap from the mold. The bars were then allowed to cure.

After six weeks I decided to try the soap and see if it actually worked? I lathered up under the faucet and was pleasantly surprised to see that my soap worked! My hands were clean!

I’m so excited that I had success with making soap! Now to investigate a few more recipes and make another batch!

Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fry with Basil

I love asparagus and use it often in recipes. Some of my favorites are Shrimp, Orange, and Asparagus Stir-Fry and Asparagus Egg Drop Soup. This week I made a delicious Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fry with Basil. I loved the addition of basil!

Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fry with Basil

Ingredients:

¾ cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp oil
1 pound of boneless chicken, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
1 pound of asparagus, trimmed and cut into one inch pieces
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, diced
¼ cup fresh basil

Directions:

Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat your wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Pour in 2 tsp of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken and stir-fry until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in the same pan and add the garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the asparagus, pepper and scallions and stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the seasoning sauce to the pan and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens, about one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve at once.

What Do You Do with Garlic Scapes?

Garlic scapes, what are they? Garlic scapes are the flower bud of the garlic plant. The bud is removed in late June to encourage the garlic bulbs to thicken up. The question is what do you do with garlic scapes? Scapes can be used in so many ways. They make a fabulous addition to a flower bouquet but they are also so delicious to eat. You can use them in any recipe exactly the way garlic is used. Last week I mentioned that it was almost time to harvest my garlic scapes.

How do I use them? If you are a pesto lover they make the most delicious garlic scape pesto. You can combine it with basil or just use the scapes. Either way is delicious, we especially enjoy garlic scape pesto tossed with pasta!Garlic scapes can also be cut up and used in a stir fry. One of my favorite stir fry recipes is this delicious garlic scape scampi. Use them like you would onions in any favorite stir fry recipe.I’ve also made garlic scape pickles. They taste very much like pickled beans.The more ways I find to use the garlic scapes the more I think I should just grow more garlic!Do you grow garlic? What is your favorite way to use the scapes?